Faithful Followers

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

"YES! I can totally help you with it." I love getting requests like this because I don't have to come up with excuses why I can't help. Like when my 5th grader asks me for math help. I take a look at his assignment, see all the numbers and start feeling woozy, then I feign an injury that needs immediate medical attention so I have don't to admit to my kids that I still count on my fingers (and sometimes toes).

But a project about the 80s? Now, THAT I can do!

"So, what kind of music did you listen to in the 80s?"

"I listened to the same stuff I listen to now. I'm kinda stuck in the 80s," I confessed to Savannah. (Not a word, Chris!!!)

"Well, what movies did you watch?"

"Anything by John Hughes."

"What did you guys wear?"

I started getting excited at this point, reminiscing about my high school couture. Well, we wore Gunne Sax dresses to prom and homecoming. We wore tight, skinny acid washed jeans and we rolled the legs around as tight as possible and then tucked them into our socks. We generally wore a couple different pairs of brightly colored socks too. Or leg warmers! Oooo, yeah! We wore sock and leg warmers and we layered them!

"You tucked your jeans into your socks? On purpose?" Savannah looked at me like I was some sort of dork.

"Well yeah! At least, the totally cool kids did! Oooo and parachute pants! Everyone had parachute pants! I got mine at Madigan's Junior at Woodfield Mall. They were black. I was awesome. Oh yeah! And we wore lots of bright, neon stuff! Oooo, and color-changing shirts! They'd actually change color if you were hot or cold! And fishnet tops over other shirts!"

Blank stares from Savannah

"Oooo, and we'd carry a big ole comb in our back pocket!"

"To comb your hair?"

"I think it was more of an accessory because after we sprayed half a can of Aqua Net or Stiff Stuff in our hair, we couldn't possibly pull a comb through it."

Slight eye-rolling from Savannah

Yep, and we had portable curling irons that ran on lighter fluid, and we'd light our black eyeliner pencils with a lighter to make them more spreadable, then we'd layer it on thick. Oooo and we had jelly bracelets! And jelly shoes! And Swatches! Lots of Swatches! We'd wear half a dozen of these plastic watches down our arm at once!

"Seriously? And you were making fun of us for wearing those shaped rubber band bracelets."

"Um well. OK, you have a point there."

"We didn't have cell phones, we didn't even have cordless phones til later. I had to stand in the kitchen and have my conversations while my mom was cooking dinner or my sister was doing her homework. No privacy. And I couldn't move more than 5 feet away from the wall or the phone would unplug. And there was no caller ID either! Our video games were all the same - a little square that hit another little square back and forth. Actually, nope, sometime, later in the 80s, we had better ones like PacMan and Asteroids. And we had MTV and MTV was just all videos all day long back then!"

Savannah's eyes glazed over with information overload

"OK, what kind of slang was popular then?"

"Like I'm so totally sure! We had like the most gnarly slang like ever!"

"OK then. Umm, thanks for your help, Mom."

But it gets even better! My sister, who never throws anything away, was able to outfit Savannah for this project! Mini skirt - check! Leggings - check! Big earrings - check! Lace gloves - check! See for yourself!

Ok and a SSO questions. So have any of your kids broken out of preschool and tried to walk home? Same child that slept with your book made a break for it today and sadly got half way home, she is fine though the licensing department is having a field day about it for me.

I went to high school in the 80's as well. I have been giggling inside as i walk through the stores with my daughter and see the leg warmers and neon socks from the days of my youth. I wish i had held on to all my old stuff too!! I am so surprised we did not all blow ourselves up by igniting our aqua net fumes while we snuck smokes in the school bathrooms...not that I did that or anything...hehehe

Fantastic! She looks awesome! So glad she was able to dress like she was actually IN the 80's and not like the girls did around here for Halloween last year. They all thought the only 80's outfit was a Jane Fonda aerobics outfit!!

My hair popped up about three inches, my face broke out in pimples and I was overcome with a wave of insecurity just READING this post! She looks great -- very authentic. Great look back in time for those of us denying milestone birthdays this year. :-)

I, too, am stuck in the 80s and am so excited to see so much of the fashion comng back for MY girls to enjoy!! Don't forget the Members Only jackets, Ocean Pacific, Gloria Vanderbuilt jeans, Chic, Sassoon, Panama Jack, the first Nikes that were white canvas with a navy stipe, jelly shoes that would make your feet sweat and gag anyone in a 20 foot radius, banana clips, slap bracelets and Garbage Pail Kids. And the best music in the history of music!!

Oh. My. Valley Girl God. My daughter just interviewed me for the same thing. It wasn't until I got into it that I remembered the things I'd forgotten about - Swatch watches and Hypercolor. I totally still have my Hypercolor shirt, although 20 years in the attic might have taken the hyper out of it. Savannah looks so totally awesome. Did you get authentic Aqua Net for the hair or did you use some environmentally friendly version? I can raise my hand proudly and declare that I wholeheartedly contributed to the hole in the ozone layer.

So like totally wow, what kind of grade did she get on this report?! It's gotta be like, you know at least a major "A" chomp,chaw, chomp (can't leave out the wad of gum). Like I totally can't wait to find out.That wasn't my era it was my kids', but it drove me into shock to hear all those syntax fractures once again, so I kinda went into shock for a minute. Please excuse me. ;)

Aw Madigans I LOVED that store! I went to the HIP though, it was closer lol. I remember my Mom buying me a huge long cord for the phone, I could snake it across our dining room and past the bathroom and into my room. Then you would hear her trip over it and curse the cord LOL. Totally Gnarly Post Dawn!

SO YOU REALISE THEY WEAR THIS NOW!?......Sike (lol had to say it) anyway this is what is popular to wear now...your sister didn't need to save anything...go to a local store and find all of this! lol fun stuff!

Ummmm, I still have my butane curling iron. For camping, REALLY! And Dude, that was like the most totally awsome post ever! The only diffrence was if you had curly or wavy hair, Aussie Sprunch Spray was used instead of Aqua Net.

I remember a few years back, my niece listening to the song "1985," and not even understanding why it was so funny. The video was hysterical. My sister and I graduated high school in 1985, so yeah, that was us!

When I first read the line that your sister doesn't throw away anything, at first I thought it was going to be a picture of YOU in the 80's. I had to look twice to realize it was your daughter. She looks totally gnarly!

I had forgotten about Gunne Sax! I remember my friend and I sitting on the bus with our Seventeen magazine picking out Gunne Sax prom dresses! Thanks for the stroll back on memory lane :) Let us know how she fares on her 80's project!!

before I read the entire post I thought it was a picture of you..... and sad to say, I didn't even think the outfit/hair was all that bad =)

BTW- off subject I know-- but when are you going to do another review/giveaway? I imagine after the last one where no one would claim the prize, you have probably given that up for awhile. I always look forward to your reviews, and always hopeful to win!

Dawn,HiLARious! The side pony tail - I forgot about that one. And the shirt off one shoulder look. Also, I totally had a magenta net shirt that I wore over a purple t-shirt. But that was college for me, as I graduated high school in '83. Also, we permed our long hair.

I am so relieved to hear that I am not the only one stuck in the 80s!! I think it's why it doesn't bother me that we don't have the money to update our house...built in 1983 (same year as Risky Business and the song Der Kommissar!).